Boone County, KY Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Disabled vehicle shoulder limit
- 24 hours
- General roadside parking limit
- 5 days (§ 71.07)
- Unclaimed-vehicle notice window
- 14 days after storage begins
- Abandonment trigger
- 90 unpaid days after notice
- Outcome
- vehicle escheats to Boone County
Summary
A disabled vehicle can't sit on a Boone County road shoulder more than 24 hours, and once a towed vehicle sits unclaimed and unpaid for 90 days after notice, it is legally deemed abandoned and becomes county property. County Code §§ 71.08 and 71.19 set these limits for unincorporated Boone County roads.
§ 71.08 DISABLED VEHICLES. A vehicle that is inoperable or disabled and has been parked or left standing on the shoulder of any street, road or right-of-way shall not remain on the shoulder longer than 24 hours. However, should such a vehicle impede traffic or constitute a traffic hazard, it may be towed pursuant to this chapter... § 71.19 DISPOSITION OF VEHICLE NOT CLAIMED. (A) If within 14 days of storage of a motor vehicle which was towed pursuant to this chapter and the civil penalty and towing and/or storage charges have not been paid or hearing has not been requested, notice shall be mailed by certified mail to the registered owner of the vehicle, if known, and lien holders of record, if any. Said notice shall state that the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned unless the civil penalties, towing and/or storage charges, if any, thereon are not paid within 90 days of receipt of the notice. (B) After 90 days from the date of notice required by division (A) above, an impounded vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and the vehicle shall escheat to and become the property of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).
Full Breakdown
08 gives an inoperable or disabled vehicle parked on a street, road or right-of-way shoulder only 24 hours before it must move; if it impedes traffic or is a hazard sooner, an officer can have it towed under this chapter even within that window. 19 governs what happens if nobody claims it. If, 14 days after storage begins, the civil penalty and towing or storage charges remain unpaid and no hearing has been requested, the county must mail certified notice to the registered owner and any lienholders of record warning that the vehicle will be deemed abandoned unless those charges are paid within 90 days of that notice.
Once that 90-day window closes without payment, the vehicle is legally abandoned and escheats to Boone County outright. 020 and either keep it for governmental use or sell it at public auction if it is fit for use, or sell it for scrap or junk value if it is not. Boone County also holds a lien on the vehicle for every unpaid civil penalty, towing charge and storage charge, and that lien outranks all other liens against the vehicle. These sections apply to roads, streets and county-maintained lots in unincorporated Boone County, plus streets maintained by the City of Union and the City of Walton.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a disabled vehicle on a shoulder past 24 hours, or any vehicle parked past the five-day roadside limit under § 71.07, exposes the owner to a § 71.99 citation (a $30 to $60 civil penalty, up to $500 if contested and lost) plus towing. Failing to pay towing, storage and penalty charges within 90 days of certified notice under § 71.19 forfeits the vehicle to the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a broken-down car sit on a Boone County road shoulder?
What makes a towed vehicle legally abandoned in Boone County?
What does Boone County do with a vehicle that escheats to it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boone County
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